Ventilating and flushing apparatus for water closets



Sept. 14, 1948. c MAJAUSKAS 2,449,134

VENTILATING AND FLUSHING APPARATUS FOR WATER CLOSETS Filed ME-IGh 7,1947 Patented Sept. 14, 1948 VENTILATING AND FLUSHING APPARATUS FORWATER CLOSETS Charles J. Majauskas, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 7, 1947, Serial No. 733,024

1 Claim.

My invention relates to ventilating and flushing apparatus for waterclosets, and is an improvement on the apparatus disclosed in myPatentNo. 1,734,498, issued November 5, 1929.

I have discovered that it is particularly advantageous to provide awater control valve in such a system which will at all times prevent theflush water from backing up through the exhaust fan; and I have inventeda valve for accomplishing this purpose which is simple in operation andso constructed that little maintenance is required to keep it in properoperating condition.

Inaddition to the foregoing, other objects and advantages of myinvention include the following: to close the air exhaust line at thetime when the rush of water through the pipe from the tank to the bowlis sumciently strong so that without such closure the water would backup through the air exhaust line to the fan and vent, to open the valvewhen only a small quantity of water, or none at all, is passing throughsaid line, thereby allowing the fan to draw air from the bowl to bedischarged into the vent pipe; and to provide a valve seat-constructionof such a type that proper seating may be obtained despite anydeviations in thickness that may be found between various valve facingsemployed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a study of thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred form of my invention,with a section of the sewer gas valve cut away to illustrate theinterior thereof;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the same installation, showing thecomponent parts of the ventilating system and the relation of the watercontrolvalve to such other parts; 3

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the water control valve, withportions broken away to show the interior of said valve; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

In accordance with the requirements of R. S. 4888 the following is adescription of the preferred form of my invention and the principle ofoperation thereof, but it should be understood that the appended claimsshould not be limited by the specific disclosure except as may berequired by the prior art.

This invention is for use with a water closet installation consisting ofa bowl H), which is supplied with fiush water through a pipe H from anyconvenient source of supply, such as a storage tank I2, all as shown inFig. 1. In a typical installation the water closet will discharge into awaste pipe 13, and is preferably vented through a separate vent pipe Itwhich is open to the atmosphere outside the building.

By connecting the suction side of a centrifugal ventilator to the flushwater line I l, and the discharge from such ventilator into vent pipel4, air may be drawn from the bowl Ill and discharged outside thebuilding without the necessity of any special changes in standardplumbing fixtures. This is done by having an air passage from pipe llconnect with valve I! at the open ing of the air exhaust connection l5therein. A

' further passage 16 connects the valve i? with ing pipe IS.

the intake side of the exhaust fan l8, which fan discharges into thevent M through a connect- 7 The normal position of the valve ll (atsuchtime as the ventilator is not operating) is closed, as illustrated inFig. l, to prevent sewer gas from vent M from backing up and out of thebowl through these connections.

The water closet seat 20 is spring-loaded so as to normally position itabove the water closet bowl. Pressure on this seat sufficient to depressit rotates a lever 2| to open valve ll and at the same time to operatean electric switch 22 and energize the motor driving the fan [8. Thisfan will proceed to draw air from bowl lll through pipe ll and theconnections thereto, discharging into vent pipe I4. The water supplyvalve, which in the illustrated system will be found in tank l2 at theentrance to pipe I I, will effectively seal that end of pipe H forcingthe air to be drawn from the water closet bowl.

However, I discovered that in the event the flush water were dischargedthrough pipe H at such time as valve H was open, there would often besufficient head of water to cause the water to back up through'theconnection with pipe II to valve [1, andthence into the fan. In manyinstances this would result in damage to the fan blades, and loss ofwater by discharge into the vent H. To remedy this situation I haveinvented a special valve 25 to be inserted in the connection between theflush water pipe II and valve H, as shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 3, the body 26 of valve 25 has an opening therein at21 to receive the pipe from the flush water supply. A second opening 28connects with the portion of pipe HI leading to the water closet bowl. Athird opening 29 is for receiving the air exhaust connection l5 of valveH, as shown in Fig. 2.

Between openings 21 and 28 in the valve body is a flush water passage 30within Which is a lever ation of this valve.

3!. This lever is mounted on a shaft 32 and is attached thereto, as bymeans of screws 33 (Fig. 4). The shaft 32 is journaled in the valve body26 to allow free rotation thereof. The opening in the valve body throughwhich the shaft 32 is inserted is sealed by a cover screw 34 after theshaft is in place.

Within the valve body an air passage 36 leads from the water passage 30tothe airconnection 29, andwit-hinthis air passage is positioned a valveclosure 3'5, the latter being also fastened to shaft 32, as by means ofscrews 38. The valve closure 31 is adapted to cooperatewith a valve seat40. It has been foundto"be"des' 'able to employ a valve facing 39 on theupper'"faee"of* valve closure 3! to insure a positive operationvof thisvalve. V e Because of the fact that wlthnorrnalproduction practicesthere will be variations in"the flt of the pivoted valve closure and thecooperating valve seat, and because valve facings used for replacementpurposes will not always; be' of .the

I same thickness; provision is made for transverse adjustment of thevalve seat. afteriassembly of the valve injthe shop, Qrf after a valvefacing has been replacedin theqfield, -t'h e--valve seat andthe facingan I the valve; closuremay be made to meet in acommon plane with the:result that a water-tight fit is obtained.- This isdone by making thevalveseat, per -se -oneen'd of a u a rj 1, t at is th e ded in. tpassageway 29.: Rotation ofthistubular member 6i may beobtainedbyengaging it with a-screw driver or a spanner; wrench in a, -p airofopposed notches in the en d thereofyone of these notches.

being shoWnat lZ-in F-ig l. c. H

Valve closure 31 has sufficient -weightattached to the under portionthereof asseen -in-gl ig.

thatfthe normal posit-ionpfthis closure Willbe down, leaving the airpassage open; Lever '3l is positioned on shaft 32-in such; a manner thatwhen the valve closure is adownwardly-position the lever-willlie-substantially horizontal. In this position the relatively broadfjaceof the lever will substantially obstruct-thewaterpassage 33, as isillustrated in Fig. 4. V a v 4 I The following is 'a briefsummary of theoper- 'With; no waterpassing through the passage 30the valve willremainin the open position, and at any time the mechanical blower is'operated; air can be drawn -from the bowl through thisvalve. Whe n.theflush water a is discharged'into passagefslk the force- =of'such waterwill press down-against the upper face of the'lever SI and, by;overcoming=the normal "force exerted by gravity on the valve closure;willresult in a rotation of shaft 32 to bring'the valve facing 39 ofclosure 3! into engagement with=valve seat ii), thus effectively sealingthev air passage 2-9.

This position of the valve is'shown-in dottedlines inFig.3. I

When substantially all of =the-flush water has passed the valve,andthere isno longer su'fiicient 4 head of water to cause any backingup, the pressure of the water on lever 3|. will have lessened to such anextent that the weight of valve closure 3'! will operate to rotate shaft32, despite the fact that the blower may still be on, and again open theair passage. Thus it can be seen that the action of this valve will besuch that the valve will close only when the head of moving water above'it is sufiicient to otherwise cause a backing up of the water throughtheiventilating "fan. When this danger is not present; the valve will beopen, though if a small amount of water is still flowing such openingmay be restricted. *The valve facing is retained on the valve closureby'any'well known means, such as a bolt or expani-si'on pin" 43,"asshown in Fig. 3. It may be that the valve facing will have to beexamined as to condition from time to time, and I have,therefore;provided an opening 44 closed by a nut 45. Through thisopening access may be had to inspect the valve facings, when this-isthought necessary. "Thisjjopening" and thef eee'essi obtaineq'therethroiigh will also am" inthe replacing 'of fvalve "facings.

Iclaim asi my invention: v j Eoruse Witha water closet having aseathinged thereto, a pi-pqconnecting said: water closetrwith said-passageduring the time said-blower is not inoperation, asecon d'valve in saidpassage adjacent to said pipe, saidsecond valve beihg normallyopen, anda pivoted lever in saidpipe operav tively connected-to saidsecond valvesaid lever being substantially smaller than-the inter-mildlameterif-said pipe and being positioned to only partially obstruct the 'flow aof water through said Qpipewhereby only-a flow offlwaterwthrough saidpipe sufficient-to substantially filllsaidepipewill actuatesaidr'pivotedlever and close said-second CHARLES J .-MAJAUSKAS.

"REFEanNcEsIci'TED The following referenees 'are of"trec'o'ird--lrr--the file of this patent:

'UNiTED'sTArEs PATENTS

